Process of manufacturing carbids.



No. 656,599. Patented Aug. 21, I900. R. DOULITTLE.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CARBIDS.

(Applicatiun filed Oct. 18, 1898.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN DOOLITTLE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MARY V. DOO- LITTLE,OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING CARBIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 656,599,datedAugust 21,1900. Application filed October 16 1896. Serial No. 602,116. (Nospecimens.)

To all whom it may concern: form a plurality of such couples is used,the Be it known that I, REUBEN DOOLITTLE, a material falling through thecontracted space citizen of the United States of America, residbetweenthe ends of the several electrodes as 5 ing at Chicago, in the county ofCook, in the it falls to the bottom of the chamber, Figs. 1 5 State ofIllinois, have invented a certain new and 2. The material falls by forceof gravand usefulProcess of Manufacturing Oarity, which is aided by adowndraft through bids, of which the following is a description. thechamber, caused by drawing off the super- Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, heated gases below the electrodes through 60 wherein likereference letters indicate like or the gas-pipe E. Any preferredmeans-such corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a vertical as a pump, stack,or exhaust-fanmay be section of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 isemployed to draw off the gases through the a transverse section of thesame in line 2 2 pipe E. The superheated gases thus reof Fig. 1, andFigs. 3 and 4 are sections showmoved are of value and may be employedfor 65 ing modifications of the lower part of the ap- Various usefulpurposes. paratus. v It is obvious that k the electrical current Thisinvention relates to a new and immay be varied with the separate couplesof proved process for the manufacture of carelectrodes, as desired. Thusthey maybe arbids, and has particularly in view a continuranged tosubject the falling material to a 70 ous process for such purpose. Tothis end it gradually-increasing temperature until the is embodied,broadly, in thoroughly mixing necessary action takes place resulting ina together pulverized carbon with an oxid of carbid. calcium, strontium,barium, or othersuitable By means of my improved apparatus apermaterial, then passing the mixture in the feet control of thetemperature is secured at 75 manner hereinafter described and claimedvarious points as the material descends, thus through a suitablefurnace, where it is first accomplishing the most perfect andeconompreliminarily heated, then submitted to a ical results. Thecarbids may be removed in sufficiently-high temperature to bring aboutany preferred manner. Thus it may flow into reactions important in theprocess, and a removable receptacle T, as shown in Fig. 1, 8o finally tosuch a temperature as will result be tapped out at w, as in Fig'. 3, orbe deliv- 0 in the formation of a carbid, then drawing off ered ingranular form, as in Fig. 4, the method the superheated gases thustreated for further of which will be hereinafter more fully exuse, asdesired, leaving the carbid. plained.

In order that the process maybe better un- The mode of operation is asfollows: I take 85 derstood, I have shown and described means the properproportions of carbon and a suit- 3 5 for carrying out the same. ablebase for example,substantially one part Referring to the accompanyingdrawings, of carbon or coke to two parts of lime-and A represents avertical chamber surmounted after thoroughly pulverizing and mixing theby a hopper B, provided with any preferred two together I place them inthe hopper B, 90 device for regulating the feeding of the matewhich isregulated to feed the material into 40 rial into the chamber. For thispurpose the the chamberinacontinuous stream. Byconworm O is provided.tinuous stream or freely-moving stream V 's s are pipes used to admitgas, oil, or other or shower is meant an unsupported or unimfuel nearthe top of the chamber, a space bepeded moving mass, incontradistinction to a 5 ing provided around them to admit suiiicient'mass held in a pan or muffle and simply al- I 5 air to secure thedesired combustion. By lowed to settle as the material is removed thesemeans the falling material is primarily from underneath. Beforebeginning to feed heated and treated by passing through the in thematerial the chamber is heated to the flame, the quality of which may beregulated desired temperature by means of the combus- I00 gbycontrolling the admission of the air and of tion of the fuel throughthe pipes s s, as dethe gas, oil, or other fuel. Lower down in scribed,and also by the aid of the electric the chamber I arrange horizontalelectrodes are. When the chamber reaches the desired 1) in opposingcouples. In the preferred temperature, the material is admitted, the

stream first passing directly through the flame and later between theelectrodes and thence to the bottom of the chamber, where it is removedas a carbid. My understanding; of the process and of the chemicalreactions which take place is that the first effect of this operation isthe formation of cyanogen and acetylene, the cyanogen combining with thelime and forming calcium cyanid, as is now well understood. By thiscombination a percentage of the nitrogen derived from the atmosphereadmitted for the purpose of producing combustion, above referred, to, istaken up, the greater part, together with anyother gases released,moving onward with the calcium cyanid. As the material comes within theinfluence of the electrodes, which are especially arranged andcontrolled for this purpose, the falling material passes into a zone ofheat, in which the temperature is sufficient to cause the decompositionof the calcium cyanid and of the cyanogen and acetylene therewith,(supposed to be about 1,775 centigrade.) The decomposition greatlyincreases the temperature, as is well known. This increase oftemperature, together with that already caused by the combustion of thegas and oil before mentioned, brings the temperature to a pointapproximating that necessary to complete the process in the formation ofthe carbid, thus greatly economizing the electrical energy usually foundnecessary for that purpose. The electrical current is managed to secureand maintain just the temperature necessary to secure the best resultsin completing the desired reaction. "he superheated gases passingthrough this zone of high temperature are drawn off through the pipe Efor use as may be desired. It will be seen that the operation iscontinuous and economical, securing carbid of a uniform quality, andresulting also in a large quantity of superheated gases, which may beemployed for various useful purposes.

If itbe desired to deliver carbid in a granular form, and thus whileheating and securing a uniform grade of the product avoid the necessityand expense of grinding, I construct the lower part of my furnace withthat particular object in view. In the form shown I incase the lowerpart of the chamber in a cooling jacket or coil 0, Fig. 4:, throughwhich a cooling fluid or gas may be circulated, thus partially coolingthe product. It is then subjected to a blast through the pipe F, whichforces it through the pipe R, stillfurther cooling and granulating it.Plates or grates M, provided with perforations or elongated openings,may be employed, if desired, to retard the flow of the product duringthe first cooling and deliver it to the action of the blast in smallstreams.

By my improved process I am enabled to use the raw materials, such aspulverized slack coal and limestone, the passing of the material throughthe flame being sufficient to transform the limestone into caustic lime,the

reactions taking place as effectually'as though caustic lime wasinitially used. This onables me to dispense with the expense of firstburning the lime and results in a substantial saving in the cost of theproduct.

After thus describing myimproved process it is obvious variousimmaterial changes may be made without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tocover by Letters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described process of manufacturing carbids, consisting infirst mixing together pulverized carbon and a suitable base in suitableproportions, second, passing the mixture in a shower through a flame,third, passing the heated mixture and accompanying gases through a zoneof increasing temperature including an electric furnace where themixture becomes transformed into a carbid, and, fourth, drawing off thesu perheated gases and permitting the carbid to cool, the wholeconstituting a continuous process.

2. The liercin-described process of manufacturing carbids, consisting infirst mixing together pulverized carbon and lime in suitableproportions, second, passing the mixture in a shower through a flame,third, passing the heated mixture and accompanying gases through a zoneof increasing temperature including an electric furnace where themixture becomes transformed into a carbid, and fourth, drawing off thesuperheated gases and permitting the carbid to cool, the wholeconstituting a continuous process.

3. The herein-described process of manufacturing carbids, consisting infirst mixing together pulverized carbon and a calciumbearing material insuitable proportions, second, passing the mixture in a showerthrough aflame, third, passing the heated mixture and accompanying gases througha zone of increasing temperature including an electric furnace where themixture becomes transformed into a carbid, and, fourth, drawing off thesuperheated gases and permitting the carbid to cool, the wholeconstituting a continuous process.

4. The herein-described process of manufacturing carbids, consisting infirst mixing together finely-divided carbon and an alkaline substance insuitable proportions, second subjectingthe said mixed carbon andalkaline substance to the direct action of a flame, third passing theheated mixture and accompanying gases through arcs of increasingtemperature sufficient to transform the mixture into a carbid andfourth, drawing off the heated gases and permitting the carbid to cool,the whole constituting a continuous process.

5. The herein-described process of manufacturing carbids, consistingfirst in mixing together finely-divided carbon and an alkaline material,second passing said mixture in a freely-moving stream successivelythrough 10 moving body of carbid-producing material to the action ofheat, passing the material successively through arcs of increasingtemperature until a temperature is reached which is sufficient to effectthe formation of carbid and finally permitting the same to cool.

REUBEN DOOLITTLE.

Witnesses:

J OHN W. HILL, L. A. GARDINER.

